CHIMERA

by Marshall Huffman

  “Look. You have to do better than that. I have no idea whether we are interested or not without more information.”

  “It concerns the Governor’s medical facility.”

  “What about it? He made the announcement a week ago. That’s pretty old news.”

  “Have you seen the facility?”

  “No. Just the pictures that they distributed. Why?”

  “Do you know where it is?”

  “Not really. Look, what are you saying? That something else is going on?” she demanded.

  “Hello. Hello? What the...” she said and hung up the phone.

  She sat there for several moments, still looking at the phone. Where was this facility located? Come to think of it, the location was never really mentioned. She dug around in her files and found the picture that had been released to the media.

  It certainly looked good enough. You could tell from the structures that it was near an airport. She tossed the picture back in the folder. So why had the guy called? What was he hinting at? Maybe she should ask her editor what he knew about this medical facility.

  **

  “Ah, our prodigal engineer returns,” Randal said as Buck bounded into the trailer.

  “I do indeed. I just wanted to give you slackers a heads up,” he said.

  “A heads up. Now there is a first since all this started. Someone actually telling us what is happening before it is too damn late,” Mark replied.

  “Well then, let me be the first. By Monday we will have the cradle ready to use.”

  “Hey, way to go. You’re a few days ahead of our projected date,” Randal said.

  “We got lucky. I located a streak of bedrock just thirty feet below the coal vein. I was able to get solid anchor points. We still used the concrete around the upper joints but I’m happy with the results.”

  “If you're happy, we’re all happy,” Mark replied.

  “So what’s the next step?” Randal asked.

  “I’ll be starting tests this afternoon. I know what the Doppler says but I am going to make damn certain. We will lower the cradle with your and the other guy's equivalent weight plus a ten percent safety factor and make sure we hit bottom and that it works like it should.”

  “So we could go as early as Tuesday” Ronald asked.

  “I see no reason why not.”

  “Unless the thing crashes to the bottom of the pit,” Mark said.

  “That’s why we added the extra ten percent. In case you get fat between now and Tuesday.”

  “Nice. Really nice,” Mark said.

  “I’ll let the military know so they can have their man here on time.”

  “Have him come Monday. I’ll need you too Mark. I want to show you how everything works. The lights, the power override and a few other small things.”

  “Gee, my skiing gondola doesn’t have all those gizmos,” Mark replied.

  “It doesn’t go straight down for five miles either.”

  “Good point.”

  CHAPTER FORTY

  When the commanding officer had left his office, Sargent Roundhouse was deep in thought about what he had said on his way out. What in the world could this all be about?

  He didn’t have to wonder long. Within a few minutes the door opened and two men came into the room. They were civilians, Roundhouse surmised from their appearance.

  “Staff Sargent Roundhouse. Thank you for coming,” one of the men said.

  Neither offered his hand so he just sat there looking at them. He could feel they were checking him out. One of the men opened a briefcase and removed a substantially thick file. He passed it over to the other man who flipped it open.

  “I know you have a lot of questions but this will go much faster if we explain the situation and you listen. If you don’t understand something, by all means let us know. Fair enough?” he asked.

  “Yes sir.”

  “Please, no sir stuff. I’m agent Dan and this is Bob. If it’s alright with you, we'll just call you Kid.”

  “Alright Dan,” Roundhouse said.

  “Good. Then let’s get started. I’m sure the Commander will want his office back sometime today,” Dan said smiling quickly and looking down at the file once more.

  “I’m ready whenever you are,” Roundhouse replied.

  “What we are about to tell you is considered Ultra Top Secret. Nothing, and I mean nothing that is said in this room can ever be repeated. Kid, this comes from the highest level of security in the nation. You must keep that in mind at all times. You are to be made aware that divulging any information given to you here today can and will result in your immediate arrest and detainment. Do you understand that provision?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Sign here attesting to that fact.”

  When he was done signing Dan read off ten more provisions and he was required to sign that he had understood each one.

  “Knowing and having attested to that fact, do you wish to continue?”

  “Well, I know what happens if I do listen and say something. What happens if I get up and just walk out right this instance?”

  “We will look for another candidate. You were chosen because you fit the profile we were looking for. There are others but you were our first choice,” the man called Bob explained.

  “How many others have you told that to?” Roundhouse asked the man.

  The two looked at each other and didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

  “I like you Kid so I’m going to be honest. You’re the third we have interviewed,” he said smiling.

  “You told the number two guy that as well.”

  “Yep, we did. And if you walk, we will tell the number four man until we find the right person to do the job,” Dan replied, closing the file and handing it back to Bob.

  “So, why don’t you tell me what this is all about? I guess I’ll be your number one man,” Roundhouse said, leaning back in his seat and relaxing for the first time since he had been called to report.

  “Excellent. Bob, why don’t you fill him in on the background and then I’ll explain the actual mission?”

  “Alright Kid. This will take a little time but it is important to know how we got to this point. It all started back in the mid-sixties. Johnson was the President. The war in Vietnam was sputtering along and people were starting to get disenchanted with the whole thing...”

  It was almost an hour before Bob finished and Dan took over explaining what his mission really was.

  **

  “Are you sure about your facts?” Jane asked.

  “Look, I worked here when they were building the place. This is it.”

  “It sure doesn’t look anything like the picture,” she replied.

  They were lying in the grass on a small knoll. She held a pair of binoculars to her eyes.

  “They seemed to have left the barbed wire fence out of the publicity shot.”

  “Not to mention the guards and dogs patrolling the area,” Jane added.

  “What is that?” her companion asked, pointing to a military truck stopping at the front gate.”

  Jane didn’t bother to answer, she was watching intently as the truck pulled up to one of the buildings. She watched as they opened the doors and guards surrounded the truck. They were all wearing full face masks and green protection suits. More startling was that they were all carrying automatic rifles.

  “Are you seeing this?”

  “Yeah, I’m seeing,” Jane replied.

  “Look at the way they are handling them. That doesn’t look like any medical procedure I know of,” he said.

  “Holy moly, are you believing this?’

  While they were watching one of the biggest men suddenly leaped and grabbed one of the guards. He pulled his mask up and wrestled he gun out of his hand. He turned and started firing at the other guards. The sound of a machine gun fire filled the air before it was joined by several others. They watched in horror as the big man suddenly dropped his gun but the others kept sh
ooting. He fell hard to the ground and still rounds pumped into his prone body. Finally the firing stopped. The sudden stillness was almost deafeningly eerie.

  “That is no medical facility,” Jane said, taking her eyes off the binoculars.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  “I’m telling you what I saw,” Jane told her boss.

  “And I’m telling you that all I have is your and Carson’s version of what went on. You are not going to write a sensational story getting everyone worked up until you know a whole lot more about the situation.”

  “Damn it, I know what we witnessed. It’s a concentration camp no matter how they try to paint the picture. All you have to do is take one look at the place. Razor wire, dogs, patrols with automatic weapons. Does that sound like a medical facility to you?” she challenged.

  “Listen and listen well because I am only going to say this once. Your word is not enough. Period. You want to put a story in my paper young lady; you are going to have to have a hell of a lot more than that. Now get the hell out of my office before you find yourself unemployed,” he said pounding his hand on his desk.

  “Alright I’ll do just that,” she said as she stormed out of the office.

  **

  “Is he here yet?” Mark asked.

  “Oh God. You sound like my kids. Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” Randal replied.

  “That’s really funny. Remind me to laugh later,” Mark replied.

  “They said around ten o’clock. It’s three minutes till,” Randal told him.

  “Well heavens, you wouldn’t want the military to be actuate would you. What time do you want to start the invasion? Oh, I don’t know, around ten or so. Yeah, that would work really well,” Mark shot back.

  “Point taken.”

  Twenty minutes later a dark blue car pulled into the compound and a smallish man got out. He had on jeans and a T-shirt.

  “I believe our man has arrived,” Randal said.

  “Well, being overweight shouldn’t be a problem,” Mark said.

  “Shall we go meet him?”

  They walked out and introduced themselves.

  “Welcome, I’m Randal Peel and this is Mark Riser,” Randal said.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Bill Jones,” the Kid said, shaking their hands.

  ‘Bill Jones?’ Roundhouse had said when they gave him his cover name. Are you serious he had asked but they assured him that was the name he was to go by.

  “Well Bill, Mark here will be the one going down with you. We have a lot of information to go over with you. Our plan is to go down tomorrow if that works for you,” Randal informed him.

  “Hey, whenever you say go, I’ll be ready. I have my bio-suit and other gear with me. Where should I store it?”

  “You brought your own suit? Well, I suppose that will work fine. We just thought you would use one of ours.”

  “Mine is kind of special. It was made just for me because of my size. I’m not exactly tall in case you hadn’t noticed.”

  “Well, it doesn’t matter. Why don’t we go inside and Mark and I can fill you in on the technical side. Then we will call Buck Martin, our engineer, and he can walk you through the mechanical aspects of the job.”

  “The sooner the better,” Jones said.

  **

  “You make damn sure you get good clear pictures. I want both video and still shots,” Jane said.

  “I know my job. You just keep on the lookout for patrols. I sure as hell don’t want to get caught spying on the facility.”

  “Hey, we have a right to be here. Nothing says it is a restricted area. We have ever...”

  She stopped suddenly and raised the binoculars to her eyes.

  “What is it?”

  “A truck. One of those military ones like I saw last time. Get ready.”

  “Relax Jane, I’m ready to roll.”

  They lay on the knoll watching as the truck went through the same procedures as before. Once it was inside the gate armed guards surrounded the truck. The back was opened and the people, men, women and children were ordered out. Within a few minutes the women were separated from the men. The children were placed with the mothers. The men were taken to one building and the women to another.

  “Geez. It looks like some of the pictures I saw when Germany was arresting all the Jews,” the camera man said.

  “The last time I was here they killed a man.”

  “No way.”

  “I’m telling you. I saw it lying right here were we are right now,” she assured him.

  “Man. I sure wouldn’t want to be in that place,” he said, “ How much longer are we going to stay here?”

  “Just a couple of more hours. I want to see how many trucks come in during the day.”

  “Man, I should have brought something to snack on. I didn’t know it was going to take all day,” he groaned.

  “Here,” Jane said, tossing him a candy bar, “I know how you are. Always got to be eating something. I came prepared so I wouldn’t have to listen to your whining.”

  “I was not whining.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Got anything to drink?” he asked.

  Jane rolled her eyes and reached into her back pack and brought out a bottle of water. She handed it to him without saying a word.

  “Excellent. I like a woman who is prepared.”

  “Watch your mouth or you won’t be able to eat your candy bar,” she said glaring at him.

  “Easy, I was just saying.”

  “Don’t.”

  “Got it,” he replied, unwrapping the candy bar before she could take it back.

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  “Is everything in place?”

  “Yes sir. The asset reported at a little after ten, just as we had planned.”

  “Good. I take it he is prepared to do the job under any circumstances?” he asked.

  “General, all we can tell you is that he certainly seemed committed to the project. Once he starts down it will be out of our hands and totally up to him,” the agent replied.

  “I definitely hope this goes well. I do not want to have to resort to plan B. That is more risk than I want to take. I will only use it as a last resort.”

  “Yes sir. We understand.”

  “Alright, keep me informed. They are still on for tomorrow?” the General asked.

  “They appear to be right on schedule,” the Agent told him.

  “Excellent. Hopefully in a day or so we can breathe a sigh of relief.”

  “I certainly hope so,” the agent replied.

  **

  CTV NEWS – In a shocking announcement we have just learned that Vice President, Andria Toll, is stepping into the actual role of President in just a few minutes. This is the first we have heard that it was even being considered.

  An anonymous spokesperson said that it was part of the reason the Senate held a closed door session. From what we have gathered so far, it appears to be due to the President's health but that has not been clarified yet.

  Sources tell us that she will be sworn in and will fulfill the remainder of the term. The new President will hold a press conference immediately following the swearing in ceremony. CTV News will carry both the swearing in ceremony and the news conference that follows.

  **

  Jane sat in the outer office waiting while the receptionist was texting on her phone. Pretty tacky, she thought. She had been sitting there for over thirty minutes and the woman hadn’t done a lick of work.

  A door opened down the hall and an attractive woman came down the hall.

  “Ms. Meeks. The Governor will see you now,” she said all smiles.

  “Thank you,” Jane said, making sure the woman noticed that she had checked her watch.

  The young woman stopped at the door she had exited earlier and knocked lightly.

  “Yes, come in.”

  “Please,” the woman said, opening the door and stepping aside so Jane could enter.

  “Governor McClai
n, I’m Jane Meeks from the Herald Times.”

  “Yes, yes. Your editor called. He is an old acquaintance of mine. We actually went to school together,” he said with the polished smile all politicians seem to be able to call up at a moment’s notice.

  “How nice.”

  “Please. Have a seat. Can Robin get you anything? Coffee? soft drink? Water?” He asked.

  “No really I’m fine. I know you are very busy and I really appreciate your taking the time to speak with me so I’ll get to the point so you can go back to doing much more important stuff,” she replied.

  “I’m never too busy for the media,” he assured her.

  “Governor, what I came to ask you about was the medical facility that you expounded on in your press conference,” she said.

  “I see. Well, what would you like to know?”

  “How has it been going? I mean is it working out like you had envisioned. Have people voluntarily come forth?”

  “We have had some degree of success in that area. People have been taking advantage of the opportunity to be checked out medically,” he replied.

  “I see. What about other people turning in suspected cases?”

  “Oh, that hasn’t really happened very often. I mean, it’s not like everyone is spying on each other. We have had a few calls but not many,” he assured her.

  “Can you give me a percentage? Is it ten percent? Twenty? More?” she asked.

  “Oh heavens no. Probably no more than one percent if that amount,” the Governor replied.

  “And are people allowed to leave if it is determined that they have not been infected?”

  “Absolutely. We certainly would have no reason to detain them.”

  “So they can come and go without restrictions?”

  “Well, if we find they are infected we do try to convince them to stay. That is the whole idea behind the project. If they just go right back out into the public they will only infect others. Remember, we are trying to save those who are not infected. It is all about reducing everyone’s risk of contracting this virus.”

  “I see. Well that certainly is a relief to hear. You see the thing is I was told it was operating more like a concentration camp. You know, work sets you free, type of thing,” referring to the saying over the entrance to Auschwitz.